The effect of glycerol and intracarotid phenoxybenzamine after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage an ultrastructural study

Summary Twenty-four hours and one week, respectively, after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) had been experimentally induced in baboons, therapeutic dosages of glycerol and/or phenoxybenzamine hydrochloride were injected intravenously. Groups of three animals were studied at various time intervals after SAH: one animal served as a control, one animal per group received phenoxybenzamine hydrochloride (PBZ), and thefinal animal received both PBZ and a 10% glycerol (in saline) injection. The animals were prepared for electron microscopy by whole body perfusion with a glutaraldehyde/phosphate fixative.Few ultrastructural abnormalities were noted in cerebral tissue in each of the animals receiving glycerol, whereas the brain tissue from the untreated animals and those which had been treated with PBZ alone showed morphological changes compatible with cerebral edema.This study was supported in part by U.S. Public Health Service Grant NS 00287.